Spending so much time in the comforts of NYC means that traveling anywhere else is pointless, and can possibly be an intimidating prospect when you are used to everything on your doorstep. But, we have to remember that with big city living comes with a certain mindset, which can stop us from getting back to basics. As far as travel is concerned, getting back to nature is one of those great little ways to calm down, see the sights, and get back in touch with who you are. What are the ways to get back to nature away from the big city, and spread yourself across the entire of the US of A?

A National Park

One of the great things about a national park is that you can escape the luxury, but also find ways to get back to a simplistic nature but all without getting bored! You can see bears in Yellowstone National Park, which is a given, but with the bigger national parks, it’s not just about a hiking trail; there’s a lot more you can do. You could go skiing, go on bike tours, and you can get back in contact with nature. If you’re looking for a perfect Instagram picture, a national park is hard to beat! And while a national park is, on a very basic level, a family-friendly resort, you can make it a lot more interesting for you by using these national parks to stimulate your sense of adventure. Yellowstone National Park provides numerous hiking trails for the amateur all the way through to the experienced. It’s certainly a way for you to climb the heights of what nature has to offer, while also getting yourself incredibly out of breath!

Find A Weekend Escape

Spending a lot of time in the big city operating on city time and with a city mindset means that when we venture out, the slower pace of life can seem like a shock to the system. One of the best ways to navigate this is to go for a full-on spa experience. The Salish Lodge and Spa in Snoqualmie, Washington is at the top of Snoqualmie Falls. As a view, its rushing water is tranquility right in front of you, and the sounds of the waterfall can drown out even the most stressful of thoughts. If it’s something that is beyond your budget, take the opportunity to gather a few friends, and rent out a guest room, taking advantage of the grandiose fireplaces and spa tubs. As well as this, you have access to numerous relaxing pastimes. From fly fishing to golf, if you really want to get yourself into a slower mindset, but still occupy your mind, it’s about finding those activities that operate at a slower pace. There is nothing quite like sitting at the bank, fishing rod in hand, and just letting life go by. Many fisher people don’t even eat what they catch but throw them back in, this is especially true of salmon. The great thing about fishing is that you get to sit down, do nothing, and go into yourself. It’s an incredibly meditative practice.

Hit The Open Road

As far as meditative practices are concerned, there’s nothing quite like you, in a car, going forward with nowhere really to go to. But if you want to experience the pleasures of a road trip, America has the best highways and byways to ensure your experience is fulfilling. Heading up the Pacific Coast isn’t just a way to get the most of some of the best scenic views in America, but the best views in the world! You don’t have to go the whole coast, you might want to just choose a little portion, and in fact, from Portland to San Francisco gives you plenty of beaches, forests, and cliff tops that give you the chance to pull over and take a breath, and just listen to the nothingness. As a way to get in touch with nature, but still have one foot in the modern world, a road trip gives you the opportunity to experience a lifestyle that is seldom seen in the modern-day. We spend so long breaking our backs working long hours, that when we look at a way to make the most of our downtime, we gravitate towards a coffee shop, or just sleep all day! There’s nothing quite like having driven 18 hours on an open road, where it’s just you, the land and the stars.

Go Nowhere!

By which we don’t mean stay cooped up in your apartment, but go somewhere that literally has nothing. It gives you the opportunity to stare into space, and think about what you really want. Amangiri in Canyon Point, Utah, has some of the most wonderful views, where it’s miles and miles of beautiful rock formations. If you want to, you can make the most of some of the luxuries of this location, but if you want to go into nothing, the desert is right there, giving me the opportunity to go, take a backpack of supplies for the day, and sit down and truly think about what you want. It also gives the opportunity to go horseback riding, hiking, and even take hot air balloon rides! There is something underrated about doing nothing.

One of the great things about New York is also one of its drawbacks. We never have the opportunity to get bored because there is so much on our doorstep. This means that when we consider the idea of leaving the city, we never do! And why it’s nice to have plenty of things to do, if you really want to get in touch with you, you’ve got to escape the treadmill now and again. Getting back to nature is one of those perfect ways to understand what you are made of, but also how everything else in the heartland of America operates on its own wavelength. Getting back to nature is simple, but hard to do when you have everything on your doorstep.

Do you enjoy spending time in nature? What’s your favorite way to do it? Tell me more in the comments below.

Until our next rendezvous…

XOXO

Trudy